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-   -   Ownership Log: VW Vento TDI HL (Updated with ICE Review) (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/105706-ownership-log-vw-vento-tdi-hl-updated-ice-review.html)

Hello All

I took delivery of new VW Vento TDI HL couple of days back and following is an account of my short listing process, pre-sales experience and initial impressions.

Little bit about the history of cars owned

My first car was a used ford ikon - Though I had learnt driving long back, I actually practiced it only after purchasing this car. I wasn’t too familiar with automobiles at that time and hence went by the advice of friends/people around me and realized the mistake I did - after the car had to be taken to workshop every other day for some issue or the other. Maintenance was a big headache and parts weren’t too cheap either few years back. After owning it for about 2 and half years parted ways with it.

Decided I'm not going to experiment with used cars anymore - came across tbhp which helped me make informed decision the second time around. My requirements then were - Diesel, Safety, Good Looking and FTD in that order. I’m not a very fast driver and has seldom driven over 100 Kmph on the highways - even if the roads allow. I found the Fiesta 1.4 TDCI to fit the bill perfectly, however only the top end SXI had ABS/Airbags at that time and OTR Chennai was around 9.25 lakhs for it in early 2008. I almost made up my mind, but then it would have been stretching my budget a little too far (6-7 Lakhs OTR) and didn’t want to take a risk since I had other family commitments too. Settled for a new swift VDI, but then had to compromise on the safety features. The waiting list quoted for ABS model in early 2008 was around 6 months, but the dealers were not ready to commit anything. I was already without a car and hence couldn’t wait much longer, opted for Swift VDI without ABS. Point to note is that I didn’t have much choice in this category when I was shopping for a car unlike now.

The car was delivered on May 2008 after a wait of around a month and honestly - It pretty much had everything I needed except the safety part. My ownership experience with maruti was absolutely fantastic - especially with their after sales. They made me actually feel very happy for my decision to compromise on my initial requirements and settling for something that started rattling right from the day one of my purchase. I was willing to live with the rattles, with the flimsy build, and the lack of ABS, Airbags/other features because of the delightful after sales and ownership experience I had with them. They were very customer centric, complaints were handled with urgency and they didn’t let me complain even for a single instance during the 3 years that I owned the car. The product wasn’t the best, but then they made me a very happy customer at the end of the day and that mattered to me a lot. Though I could have upgraded to a C segmenter much earlier - Its the after sales experience that stopped me from going for an upgrade every time I was tempted to do so.

Short listing process/Cars evaluated

I was blessed with my second daughter sometime in mid of 2010, which made the swift a little cramped for my family. I stay along with my parents and hence wanted something more spacious to go around in. Swift just couldn’t keep up with the luggage and cabin space requirements. One big complaint I have against the swift is its braking efficiency and even after the booster upgrade by Maruti - it just couldn’t inspire enough confidence in me to take it on highways. We have a Scorpio VLX in our near family and I would usually take it for outstation trips/long drives and have considerable experience with it. It was my natural choice of an upgrade but a few things stopped me from going for it.

- Size was extremely tight fit for my parking lot. I had to reverse into my house from a very narrow street which made it very difficult. Adding to the woes were the traffic on the street since the by-lanes of my area are used as bypass to avoid the traffic pile-up in the adjacent junction. Anyone with familiarity with Velachery and Vijayanagar junction will know what I’m talking about. This was a major deal breaker, else I would be driving around a scorp by now.
- Flawed ergonomics, every part of my body will feel like falling apart after a long highway drive of around 750 kms. I’m a little short in stature and that didn’t help things either
- We already have a Scorpio in my near family and hence didn’t want to go for another one.
- Though the exterior looks rugged and commands respect on the road, Interiors is not a place you would want to find yourself in.

Eliminated the Scorpio from the vehicles I was considering due to the above mentioned points.

My requirement list from my next car was as below

- Safety features. At the least ABS is a must have. Should be a diesel - I love the torquey nature of the oil burners.
- Should fit my parking slot - Scorp just about fits in at 4430 mm - this was my baseline and I dont think I could fit even if the length is a couple of more inches!
- Electric ORVM, Airbags and ACC, Steering controls, Bluetooth, Electric folding ORVM are welcome.
- Space - Cabin/boot.
- Reasonably powerful - I was spoilt by the swift VDI and hence wanted something that could match it, if not better it.
- Open for Hatch/Sedan.

I didn’t test drive a lot of cars but a very few and the reason I had rejected them are given in braces viz., i20 (Steering/AC), Honda City (Petrol/Pricing when I was shopping around), Cruze (Little over the budget/Length of the car).

When I read the t-bhp review for the Vento sometime mid 2010 - It kind of ticked all the boxes for me. I was naturally interested and waited for sometime before more feedback/ownership reports could come in. Everyone had lot of good things to say about the product but not the pre-sales experience. I initially checked the car sometime in late 2010, was pretty impressed with the initial TD, still gave myself some more time to take the plunge. Finally I made up my mind around Feb 2011 - to go for it, in spite of the pre-sales horror stories and a unknown/questionable after sales. Booked it with Abra motors, CIT nagar by early March 2011.

While I was waiting for my car, new Verna came in and I was naturally tempted to go and take a look after the long list of features, a yummy 126 bhp diesel engine and those gorgeous alloys. I checked out the car in Express Hyundai - Sholingnallur. How ever hard I tried, I couldn’t convince myself that I like the design theme, while the front and side profiles were pretty good, I didnt like the rear profile. Looks are subjective and what works for many, doesn’t appeal to me. I prefer clean and conservative lines with no quirkiness in the exterior design. Coming to its interiors, I liked the look and feel of the dash, but then there were certain bits which were just not up to the mark. I liked the long list of features, but was put off by the same steering in i20, which according to me doesn’t have any feel or feedback. I never took a TD inspite of me asking for it many times and the sales team never followed up with me thereafter. Another deal breaker was the ex-showroom price of the SX-O model which breached the 10 Lakh mark and hence will attract 15% road tax in the state of TN. I gave up and stuck to my Vento booking.

I’m not elaborating on my pre-sales experience as it has already been covered in the delivery delays thread. To sum it up, I was allotted a car - thanks to t-bhp and Mr. Anonymous from VW who helped me get my car. If I had not posted my grievances in this forum, I wouldn’t have been writing this post today. I finally took delivery of my Candy white TDI HL yesterday (5-Aug) and haven’t driven around much. But with whatever little I have driven, following are my initial impressions. Please note I will be referencing to the Swift VDI and the Scorpio 2.2 VLX since those are the other cars that I have extensively driven.

Pro's -

- Build Quality - Especially after graduating from Swift, Satisfied my safety feature requirements.
- Exterior/Interior lay-out - works for me. I would have preferred the black/beige combo in the Polo though.
- Spacious for my requirement.
- Good diesel engine, badge value and claimed FE.

Con's -

- ICE - Right from the stone-age with no provision for USB/aux-in.
- Verna has raised the bar in the C segment now with its long list of features. Vento looks spartan in front of it.
- Questionable after sales and unknown TCO. Hopefully it shouldnt be as bad as the pre-sales experience was!

Comparison with Swift VDI & Scorpio 2.2 VLX

- The car actually doesn’t feel very fast. In the swift, you can feel the acceleration (May be because of the kerb weight?), Vento's acceleration is more linear and muted. Before anyone can point out - No, I’m not talking about the turbo kicking in effect. Swift just feels more nimble and agile compared to Vento. Scorpio's acceleration is pretty much in the same league of the Vento.
- Engine of the swift feels more rev happy compared to Vento. I felt the first and second gears of Vento are very short, while the 3rd had a good range. May be this will improve with run-in.
- NVH Levels - Swift beats the Vento hollow in this area. It didn’t have the clatter/shake during cold starts and the vibration levels were never felt inside the cabin. Goes without saying the Scorp is the worst of the lot in this - though with the new 2.2 mhawk - refinement levels have increased manifold compared to the old 2.6 crde. Since I'm used to diesel vehicles for a long time now - I don’t really mind this.
- Build Quality & Interiors - Vento takes the cake. No comparison what-so-ever. My Swift (Sans the rattles) had a better interior quality and finish than the Scorp!
- Feature list - I would have preferred USB provision in ICE, steering mounted controls, Bluetooth and electric folding of ORVM. I can live without though - (Do I have a choice!!!). Scorp on the other hand is pretty well kitted (VLX) with only the ACC missing from its feature list. Swift is the other extreme with absolutely nothing to write home about.
- Ride Quality - Vento should again beat the Swift (Hard) and Scorp (Bouncy/too soft) in this attribute.
- Handling - Haven’t experienced it yet, but then if it can match up to Swift, I'll be happy. Scorpio and handling - Oxymoron! As far as the steering feel and feedback goes Vento slots right in-between Swift (Top) and Scorp. Though i would have preferred a little more feedback, I can live with it.

Some Minor Annoyances/Other points -

- Rear window not working intermittently (Reported very commonly on the forum) - Still feel this is unacceptable for a car that's just a day old. Not too sure, why this isn’t getting addressed. It’s not a too significant one for me, since I almost never drive the car with windows open. Planning on getting it sorted out when I go for a "Inspection Service".
- Looks my electric ORVM control too has some play especially when Im adjusting my left ORVM. Need to report again during the inspection service.
- Front dashboard set too high - I’m pretty short in stature and I had to keep the seat height at the maximum to overcome this. Swift had excellent front visibility and the seating position was pretty high too. I believe this is just a matter of getting used to - but then I need to watch my head during ingress and egress due to this.
- Front legroom was definitely better in the swift, Nothing fiddles around with your knees/thighs. Driver seat is THE position to be in the swift. Vento is OK - the central console does rub against my knees. Again, needs some getting used to - I believe.
- The chrome insert in the steering wheel is missing, however the chrome finishing on the headlight switches is back. If only VW can make these inserts available for people when supplies resume, I will be very happy. Also the TDI moniker on the boot - the "I" in TDI is in red color. Have noticed this in a few Skoda’s but don’t recollect seeing it in the Vento earlier. Good contrast, I’m not complaining.
- Finally, contrary to the general rule of resale value of the old model is going down when a new generation of the same vehicle is introduced, My swift VDI's resale value actually shot up! Reason being - new model is supposed to be more pricey, waiting for the new one is going to be running into months and hence people who want only the swift (Believe me - there are quite a few of them) were desperately looking for a well maintained example. I had 3 parties negotiating with me for the car, and the deal was closed over my initial estimate and expectation for the car.
- Only added tints and rubber mats to the new car, decided against the mud flaps due to its poor design. Only other modification planned is to go for Stanley/Ovion leather upholstery 3 to 6 months down the line.

Before you could all ask me for it - the photos will be uploaded pretty soon as soon as I get an opportunity to take some decent pictures.

Thanks for your time reading this long post and thanks to fellow members Souravc, Nileshch and Noopster for their help and support during the buying process. I'll be happy to answer any questions or clarifications you may have.

Congratulations. Wish you a many happy miles with your car. Please do not bother about ICE. You can always get something like CASKA to solve the needs. Since the monsoon is going to begin in Chennai by October and as you have mentioned Velachery I suggest you go for good quality mats like 3D for your car. You have got yourself a great car. Have fun. Please do upload the photographs.

Congratulations Bala! Good to see safety as a prime factor in the buying decision. And you’ve got one of the best option in the given price range. Time to upload some photos :)

Bala , being aware of the testing times that you had to endure at the VW dealership i am really glad that you finally got the car that you wanted to buy all along and didn't have to settle for anything else/less due to the testing experience . Congratulations once again, wish you many many miles of enjoyable drive with the car.

I would respond to / clarify on a few points that you have raised in your opening post :-
- The car does not feel fast because of the weight, planted feel and the great suspension , in reality its way quicker than a Swift ( when the turbo kicks in at 2000 rpm its quite in a diff league)
- The first is short , second is fine ( though you should not rev beyond 2500 rpm during break-in)
- Rear window - Have you checked out whether you are accidentally locking the roll down switch on the driver's side ? One more aspect that I learnt the hard way , the roll down switch locks the rolling down of only the rear windows ( while in a swift it locks all 4 )
- Features - Well as you drive the car you would discover a few practical features like :-
1. When you lock the door through remote lock , it switches off all lights (save parking if its on ) . I adore this feature since i waste 2 batteries because of lights being switched on in my swift
2. When parking in one of the malls and rolling down a steep gradient , slot the car into first gear and leave the accelerator alone , the car will be rock steady at 10kmph ( unlike a Swift which used to gain speed , my practical experience in the hair pins of Ooty )
3. The build is like a tank ( chennai fish carts shoud not worry you much now!) and the paint finish is bullet proof - easily survives minor scratches

NVH reduces (though not by much) after your down with an ECU upgrade - run your car for 5K and then you can get it down at VW workshop.

Look forward to the pictures :)

Crisp and to the point review. Liked it Bala. I'm sure you have the envious grin while driving around because Vento in White evokes respect. I have few questions for you.

1. Is it ok to drive around without mud flaps? How do you plan to source it and is it available in after Market?
2. I have heard VW makes cars with tank like build. Comparing it with Swift, does it make you feel confident?
3. Did you consider installing reverse sensors?

Thanks and happy miles

Bala congratulations on getting your Vento & a :thumbs up for a very simple, tidy & crisp write-up on the selection process. This would be one sticky thread, which I would be closely monitoring. Please do keep it updated at regular intervals. The reason for this being I am almost in your shoes as far as family is concerned. My parents too live with me & I have a daughter. I am looking for a spacious diesel sedan somewhere in the middle of 2012, when my faithful old Indica would be turning 8 & retiring from my active services.

I would be watching out for your experiences of long drives with your full family. Also I would be eager to know the after sales service support & the TCO. If you can please maintain a log for your car detailing maintenance & running expenses, that would be just great.

Wishing you a very happy & fruitful Vento ownership experience.

Thank you Prabhuferrari. ICE upgrade is not in my list as of now. I'm used to Pioneer P3200BT+4 Channel Amp+Monoblock+Sub-woofer in my Swift for the past few years which had bluetooth integration too. Hence the complaint about the stock music system. I have put in the standard black rubber mats as of now.

Thanks Vb-San, yes safety is right there on top of my list. Will definitely get some photographs soon.

Thank you souravc. You have always stood by me and supported during those testing times and Im so glad that the ending was a happy one. I appreciate your support mate.

I thought so about the acceleration too and hence underlined the word "feel". As far as the gear ratios go - I think i will get used to it with time. The rear window is definitely an issue - It gets stuck half way through either the rollng down/up process and starts working again after a few seconds.

If a firmware upgrade is already available, Why isnt the new batch of vehicles having them from the factory? Only VW knows the answer!

As far as the practical features go - You can point out the "Climatronic time delay" feature too - very smart.

Thank you for your kind wishes AutoIndian. I will make every effort on my part to keep the thread updated as I go through the ownership experience. This is my first attempt at writing a ownership report and I'm glad you liked it. I could no more manage my two daughters and an outstation trip in my swift due to the space requirements.I sure will post all expenses incurred during the ownership period.

Hi Bala,

Congratulations on your VW Vento.

You bought the best diesel car in C segment IMHO.

Wishing you happy and safe driving.

Hello Bala,

Congrats,mate. Great diesel car,there. Sorry that you had some initial hiccups-but that makes the ownership experience more emotional and personal,right!!

Yes, she is a bit under equipped- supplement and nourish her suitably in due course. Buy a set of 3D mats ,Caska or similar nice HU ( check out MapmyIndia too) etc.

Well,well.. snaps,snaps--inside/outside-very eager to see.:)

Wishing you a great ownership experience and lots of fun-filled driving days-remember to drive safe!!

Congratulations...
Nice review. So another Swift owner with Vento!:)

How can you say it had no feedback if you did not TD it.

It is because of 2 things. Bigger the cars better is the speed masking capability. And Vento with its robust suspension and bchasis does it even better. Secondly it takes some time to get used to the new car.


Gears of not short. They are perfect. You cant have it any better. Yes maybe it could do a bit more with a slightly taller 1st gear. Rev happy?:eek:
Man it is just 2 days old. Stop abusing it.


I personally prefer low seating position. I learnt driving in Zen. Bought a Palio. And hence love the seating posture of Vento. I dont have it all the way up.

Congrats Dude!
Enjoy the peppy Diesel -Vento TDI, best diesel in the C Class with amazing build quality.

Sorry to know your steering chrome is also missing.
Looking forward to lots of interior & exterior pics without which the introduction of ownership report is incomplete. Also please let us know your progressive experience as you crunch the miles :)
Enjoy the ride & Safe Driving.

Thank you Chartom, Bluevolt, Remingtonsteele and Oxyzen for your wishes.

I did TD the i20 and my comment was in reference to it. I have checked with in the Verna test drive thread and the general consensus was that the steering is devoid of any feedback and is very similar to i20 in terms of feel. I have driven a few hyundai's before and while they have many positives, steering feel and feedback is not one of them.

More than anything else, the waiting period for SX diesel was 6 months when I went to enquire for it. Having already waited close to 4 months for the Vento, I didnt want to cancel the vento booking and wait for another 6 months to get the Hyundai.

Oops, I missed noticing this post and hence apologies for creating back to back posts - I couldnt multiquote while editing the earlier post.

Thank you very much doxinboy. Please find my response below

1. I dont think so it should be a problem. Either ways, mud flaps dont totally avoid the splashing of rain water/mud. Need to spend a little more effort on cleaning the car. It would have been a concern to other road users on a hatch, but i guess its just fine on a sedan.

2. Yes, the build quality is leaps ahead when compared to the swift, It is a huge confidence booster. Everything feels very solid and well put together.

3. Yes, I considered the reverse sensors. The only issue is - I need a system which can give me an indication till the last mm and as I understand there isnt any such option currently available. My parking slot is extremely tight and I need to reverse my car into it from the road. I need to park it as close to the wall as possible to close the main gates. I'm used to reversing using the O/I RVM's and since no sensor could give me this solution I didn't go for one.

Congratulations, again, Bala! Great to see in detail, your purchase decision. Makes complete sense.

And good that you persisted till the end to get the car. We all in the south sure do need a little inside help to get our cars in reasonable times. Shocked to see that VW doesn't care too much about balancing out the north and south sales. Northern region deliveries are within days if not hours :Shockked:

After driving a petrol car for years, I too initially felt the sluggishness in the lower gears. But I've learnt to keep the pots boiling without sacrificing the FE too much and still get the turbo punch! You will adjust too, eventually. Ofcourse, the mid range is simply awesome.

Will drop in a follow up mail to VW about this. I want my chrome inserts too! :p

You should go for the Kagu 3D mats. Totally worth the price. I found the OE mudflaps acceptable. I have not yet scrapped on speed breakers with these, like others have reported. I find them useful in the monsoon. Helps keep off the mud and gravel from scratching the paint on the wheel arches.

Light green-coloured tints would add a premium feel to the white Vento. Though that's entirely my view.